Richard Arnold

Richard Arnold hosted Challenge TV’s quiz show ‘Take It Or Leave It’ from the makers of ‘Deal Or No Deal’. In 2008 Richard appeared on ‘Celebrity Are You Smarter Than A Ten Year Old’ on Sky One, the highest rated ‘Celebrity’ edition of the show, winning £100,000 for his chosen charity.  Richard has continued to add to his list of ‘acting’ roles starring ‘As Himself’ in ITV1’s ‘Rock Rivals’, previously he has appeared in BBC1’s ‘Hustle’, alongside Max Beesley in ITV1 drama ‘Is This Love?’, ‘Footballers Wives’ and Channel 4’s acclaimed drama ‘Shameless’.  Richard also wrote a weekly column for ‘Woman’s Own’ and was a guest columnist for ‘The People’ newspaper.  Richard hosted the successful daily celebrity cook off ‘Soapstar Superchef’ on ITV1 in 2007, as well as guest presenting on UK TV’s ‘Great Food Live.’ He was also a finalist in the first celebrity edition of ratings smash ‘Masterchef’ on BBC1.  Richard co-hosted ITV1’s first live interactive TV quiz ‘Soap Challenge’. The show – screened against cricket coverage of The Ashes in its final days – won a 30 percent share of viewers peaking at three million on a Sunday afternoon.  In 2003, Richard hosted two series – more than 160 shows – of the Living TV’s live daily chat show ‘Loose Lips’ alongside Melinda Messenger. He went on to present a twenty part series of the channel’s first live paranormal chat show ‘Psychic Live’ and also anchored another spooky hour long live special for Living TV’s smash hit ‘Most Haunted Live’ series.  Richard took to the spotlight once again to front a celebrity audience with ‘Will and Grace’ star Eric McCormack. Will on ‘Will and Grace’ first aired September 2004 to great acclaim amongst fans – winning its timeslot across all multi-channels and against Channel 5. It also appears on the Season Six DVD collection.

He was also Channel 7’s UK Showbiz Correspondent on Australian TV’s top rated ‘Sunrise’ breakfast show and guest starred in Stephen Mulhern’s ITV1 hit celebrity hijacking show’ Anonymous’.  He was also a guest presenter on London’s LBC Radio station.

2004 saw Richard at home once again on ITV1 and ITV2 with the UK version of ‘The Planets Funniest Animals’ and another return to Living TV with ‘The Good Soap Guide’, a mix of reviews, previews and celebrity chat for soap fans. After successfully co-hosting the ‘Inside Soap Awards 2003’ for Living TV, Richard was sole host for the ‘Inside Soap Awards 2004’ for the station.  Richard has also been as popular backstage at Living TV awards ceremonies adding his typically fruity and Woganesque commentary to ‘Miss Universe 2003’, ‘Miss Teen USA 2003’, ‘Miss USA 2004’ and ‘Miss Universe 2004’– all ratings winners for Living TV.  In the same year on digital favourite Challenge TV, Richard hosted ‘Soap Addicts’ – his first foray into the quiz show format, another popular show from a man who has rarely been off our screens since starting his TV career in two series of the BBC’s flagship youth programme ‘The Sunday Show’ in 1995.

Since then Richard has notched up countless hours of live broadcasting. From 1997 he presented his own daily three-hour music and lifestyle show on London’s Liberty Radio for four years – a show that bucked the traditional breakfast trend to become the station’s top-rated programme. A regular BBC Radio Five Live pundit, Richard’s banter is also welcomed regularly on BBC Radio Scotland and by his own reckoning has appeared on practically every local radio station in the country.  Richard is also an established print journalist, beginning his career in journalism in 1993 as a member of the launch team of phenomenally successful ‘Inside Soap’ magazine before leaving in 1995 to pursue a freelance career. He has contributed to a host of consumer and celebrity titles – ‘Closer’, ‘TV Quick’, ‘TV Choice’ and ‘Heat.’  In 2010 and 2011, Richard took part in ‘Let’s Dance For Comic Relief’ and in 2012, he appeared in the hit show ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ but was eliminated in week 7.

Richard Arnold kept busy during the  COVID-19 crisis in 2020. He joined a supergroup of celebrities included Frank Bruno and X Factor winner Sam Bailey to raise money for charity. They recorded a new rendition of Merry Christmas Everyone by Shakin’ Stevens and it was released digitally on 11 December 2020, on independent record label Saga Entertainment. The music video debuted exclusively on Good Morning Britain the day before release. The song peaked at number two on the iTunes pop chart.  More recently In 2021 he voice cameoed in the UK dub of PAW Patrol: The Movie.